


could be the start of something new

by blackkat



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Crushes, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 20:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9089464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: For the prompt "You’re the cute nerd that keeps getting pushed around but you just punched your bully and I gotta save you"





	

Genma figures out sometime in his first year of high school that all he needs to do to breeze through the year is wear a friendly smile, dress in a little too much black, and get suspended for kicking another kid’s teeth in halfway through the first month.

It’s probably not the most auspicious start to his high school career, but it means that everyone who doesn’t already know Genma well tends to stay at a distance, and that’s how he likes it.

The only thing his mother says when she leaves the principal’s office is, “Did he deserve it?”

“Yeah,” Genma assures her, ignoring the horror of the secretary as she gapes at them in bewildered offense. It’s true enough—Genma has never taken well to people using his sexuality as an insult, and he did give the other kid a warning. Not his fault the bastard didn’t listen.

“Good boy,” his mother approves, pinching his cheek, and leaves the office laughing.

The story gets around pretty quickly—gossip always does—and by the time Genma’s back in school it’s more or less smooth sailing through the next three years. No one picks on him, and he doesn’t pick on anyone else, and it’s all good.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that Genma has any fondness for bullies.

They are, in his opinion, pretty much all morons taking things out on other people to feel better about themselves. Genma doesn’t step into other people’s problems often—that would undo pretty much all the work he’s put in to being on the outside of everything—but he’s also not an _asshole_.

And, when he hears the sound of raised voices from beneath the fire escape where he’s perched, he leans over to take a look.

_Really_? is his first, rather incredulous thought. Because even if he _was_ a bully, he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t pick on the star of the local martial arts dojo out of all the students available.

But—

But the martial artist is pressed back against the brickwork of the building, clutching his backpack to his chest, and Genma feels his eyes narrow. That is definitely not the stance of someone planning to defend himself, and it’s giving Genma something of a bad feeling. Gai isn’t a person he’s ever talked to, but Genma admires him—he’s bright and enthusiastic and unafraid of what other people think, and Genma like that.

He’s just debating the best way to do this—because getting a teacher would definitely be easiest—when the volume of voices ticks up sharply. He snaps his eyes down to see Gai waving his arms, clearly trying to convince the three older boys to leave, but instead of making them back off, be manages to smack the one on his right across the face.

There’s a moment of dead silence, and the struck bully snarls, lunging to grab Gai’s shirt. He pulls his fist back, making Gai wince in anticipation of the coming punch, but Genma’s had enough.

Gymnastics are easy—he’s been doing them practically since he could walk. Grabbing the edge of the fire escape, he flips over it, twists, and lands with a thud right behind the group. They startle, turning to stare at him, and Genma offers them his best lazy smile. “I’m thinking you’ve got other places to be right now,” he says lightly.

“Fuck off, Shiranui,” the smallest of the three says sharply, and Genma raises a brow, studying him carefully. Probably something like a leader, or at least an influence—these assholes tend to feed each other’s egos, he’s noticed.

The second laughs meanly. “Why are you interested? He your fuck-toy? Don’t want us to mess up his face for you, fag? I don’t know, we might make it better. Not like it can get worse.”

They’re laughing, and something is coiling in Genma’s gut, winding tighter and tighter. He pulls the toothpick out of his mouth and slides it into his jacket pocket, debates getting rid of the jacket as well so he has more mobility. “First warning,” he says coolly, not looking away from the smaller one’s eyes. “I’m only going to give you one.”

Gai opens his mouth, probably to tell Genma to leave, but before he can the silent bully lunges. Without hesitating—no one ever seems to take his warnings, and that’s a shame—Genma grabs him by the collar, ducks a punch, and slams a knee up between his legs. The shriek that erupts from his mouth is hardly human, but Genma doesn’t rest on his laurels. He dumps the bigger boy to the side, sidesteps the next one’s haymaker, then grabs him by the shoulder of his hoodie and slams him sideways into the wall with the full force of his bodyweight. The last tries a tackle, but Genma uses his elbow to meet him, driving it into the boy’s kidney and making him scream and drop.

None of them get up.

Genma snorts derisively at their pathetic groaning, then glances at Gai. “You good?” he asks.

“I—yes!” the younger boy cries, and his features are brightening, expression turning from shock to something enthusiastic. “That was amazing! Are you a martial artist?”

Feeling a little self-conscious, Genma shrugs. “No, but I can defend myself. You’re one, though—why didn’t you take them out on your own?”

“A martial artist should never use their abilities outside of the dojo, especially against untrained opponents!” Gai declares proudly. “My father is very insistent of this.”

“Somehow I think that he’d be all right with it if you told him what was happening,” Genma says dryly. “Nobility that goes too far is just stupidity, and I know you’re not stupid.”

Gai falters at that, as if no one’s ever said it to him before. He stares at Genma, who can feel a blush creeping up the back of his neck, and then he smiles.

It’s a gorgeous smile, and while Genma has seen it at a distance before, he’s never experienced the full force of it directed squarely at him.

“Thank you,” Gai says, so sincere it almost aches. “I’m grateful to you for saving me, Genma.”

Gai knows his name. That’s—promising, Genma thinks. Really, really promising.

“Walk you home?” he suggests, tucking his hands into his jacket for lack of anything else to do with them.

That smile again, and Genma’s breath catches in his throat. “Yes! You can see our dojo! I’m sure my father will be very pleased to meet you, Genma! I certainly am!”

Even if he ends up suspended again, Genma is going to be able to look his mother in the eye and tell her it was entirely worth it.

 


End file.
